at 17, he became the best apprentice hairdresser in France

At 17, Théo Niglis, a young apprentice hairdresser from Sundgau in Alsace, has just won the title of best apprentice in France on June 25 in Nice. It must be said that he has something to hold on to: he spent his childhood in his mother’s hairdressing salon.

He grew up in the shadow of a mother hairdresser, in the smell of shampoo and the sound of hair dryers. Originally from Linsdorf (Haut-Rhin), Théo Niglis, 17, has just won the title of best apprentice in France.

The young Sundgauvian remembers: “When I was very young, I would go to the living room when I finished school or when I was on vacation. I did a couple of shampoos, served coffees to clients, did a few braids on moldable heads, little hairstyles, little curls and I loved it! I fell in love with this job.”

Rather than waiting on the school benches, Théo embarks on his passion and on a CAP, to learn this profession which excites him: “We never do the same things. We always have tips to learn to stay in fashion and follow the trends. It’s great ! There’s so much to do.”

To give free rein to your creativity, there is nothing like competitions. The young Sundgauvien registered for Best Apprentice in France. Selected for the national finals, he imposes a rigorous preparation, with Donna his model.

“For three months, we trained together twice or three times a week for more than three hours each time. You had to do and redo the bun. It was very intensive. Every evening, after work, I trained on a malleable head to have the right movement, the right gestures and to be on time”, he says.

For the Best Apprentice in France competition, there is an imposed theme each year : “This year, it was a man’s haircut and a woman’s bun on the theme of the Cannes Film Festival. I looked for ideas on the internet. Then I tested on malleable heads to see what worked best and afterwards, I attacked the models”.

A high bun, a few movements on the side and an attachment point on the top to stand out and be impressive: Théo Niglis’ creation hits the mark. “I was stressed at the start and afterwards it was like practice day. Everything went well and the end result was great.” recognizes the young man.

On June 24 and 25 in Nice, the young man was rewarded for his work. After a technical test on a styling head, he created in one hour and forty-five minutes a complex bun and a men’s haircut that enabled him to win the competition.

At 17, the young hairdresser from Linsdorf is now France’s best apprentice. He does not intend to stop there.